Just one night
by vgaslady
Summary: How one night can change everyone. Light Slash. FINAL CHAPTER NOW UP
1. Default Chapter

  
NOTE: This is the first fan fic I've ever written, so all feedback is welcome!  
  
  
  
Just one night, in a room above an inn on Tortuga.  
  
Just one night of whispered longings, of hearts revealed, of passions shared. Just one night where the blacksmith and the pirate revealed their hearts and souls to one another. One night where they realized their love for each other, where passion became something that consumed them both. A night where lips met, where hands explored, skin shivered beneath the rough touch of a blacksmith and a pirate.  
  
Just one night.  
  
And in the dawn, the realization that it would be just one night. For with the dawn came knowledge that they were both bound to promises made long ago - one to a childhood friend, the other to his ship and the sea.  
  
But forever each man would carry the memory in his heart of just one night.


	2. The Realization

Summary: Elizabeth comes to a realization and a decision

Pairings: E/W. No slash in this chapter

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own any of the characters. I own nothing.

Notes:  Thanks to Night Ranger for some great lyrics. As always, feedback to the fledging writer is appreciated!

_"As the sun hides its head_

_Another nights rest_

_And the wind sings it's same old song_

_And you on the edge_

_Never close, never far_

_Always there when I needed a friend"_

Elizabeth knew something was different as soon as Will had returned from Tortuga. It wasn't so much what he said, but in his eyes. He still called upon her daily, was assisting with the wedding plans, but something had changed, something she couldn't quite figure out.  Even the swords and other crafts he made were no longer the same, no longer with the special touches but plain and ordinary.

Daily she would journey down to the smithy to bring him lunch, and during their lunches the conversation would be pleasant, but very one sided. She would run on about the wedding, plans for a new home and their future while he said little. Often on their walks along the shore at sunset she would catch his gaze going towards the sea as if it called to him. Only then would she see a spark of the Will Turner she had known since childhood and had fallen in love with. The person she stood with now was a stranger.

 "But it's hard living life 

_On this memory-go-round_

_Always up, always down_

_Spinning round and round and round"_

It was a gorgeous Sunday morning, a fine day to take a long walk after church along the bluffs. Elizabeth noticed again the look in Will's eyes as he hardly paid attention to her chatter. "Father has things set for the wedding to be held in the church," she was saying, "all we need to do is start with the invitations. It would be silly really to invite all of Port Royal, but since everyone is determined to attend we may have to arrange something." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "And of course we must figure out a way to get an invitation to Jack." Will's head snapped around to look at her as if he had been slapped, and shouted out "NO!" Elizabeth drew back, and in that one instant she knew. She suddenly understood the distance, the far away look, why she had lost the man she loved. 

 "But it's hard leaving all this behind me now Like a schoolboy so lost 

_Never found until now"_

"We can't invite him. If he ever returns to Port Royal, Norrington will hang him for sure. I can't see that happen." She heard Will speak those words as if from a distance, saw the wild look of desperation on his face, and understood.  "Oh Will," she whispered, her heart breaking, "Oh my poor Will. I release you from your promise of marriage."  In an instant something crossed into his eyes, almost like a look of relief, before they once again became serious, "Elizabeth, you know I love you. This is totally ridiculous. I am proud and honored to mar-" "But not happy," she cut in, "Will, I know you better than you know yourself. You could never be happy married to me, being a blacksmith. You are a pirate. You belong to a pirate. Be happy with him."  She touched his face gently, then turned and began to walk away, not looking back at her friend and love as he stood watching her walk away.

 "And all this could be, such a dream so it seems 

_I was never much good at Goodbye"_


	3. Changes

Pairing: None, really. No slash. Just lots of angst J

Note:  I never intended the story to go into so many chapters, but thanks to your great feedback I was inspired! Keep the feedback coming for this fledging writer.

Thanks to Kansas for some great song lyrics.

_"1000 years could come and go but we would never change_

It doesn't matter how we try our hearts remain the same 

_You see how quickly distance grows, close your eyes and it appears_

_And we've pretended long enough, no more time, no more tears"_

His eyes flew open, startling himself awake. It was the same dream he had had for two months now – the dream of Elizabeth walking away from him that day on the cliffs.  As always in his dream he ran after her declaring his love for her and insisting they would marry, and as always the reality was starkly different.  He hadn't run after her that day, merely stood there struggling with himself as she walked away from him and into the arms of Norrington. Will had stood outside the church the day of their wedding as they emerged. Norrington looking proud, Elizabeth smiling radiantly, Will realizing his childhood friend was gone forever. Not gone forever really, but now truly gone from Port Royal as the couple had sailed to London shortly after they had wed. 

"Something happened long ago and we grew apart 

_We turned our heads the other way, and so we turned our hearts"_

He had endured the whispers for quite a while, the stares of the towns people and even a few questions from those bold enough to ask " 'ere now, what happened with Miss Swann?" All inquires were met with silence, and after a time people stopped whispering, stopped asking, and left him alone. 

"Be happy" Elizabeth had said to him.  He knew where his happiness lay – with Captain Jack Sparrow aboard his ship, but did that pirate still want him? They had parted in Tortuga after that night without words – just a long lingering look from Jack before he walked out of the inn and returned to the Pearl, leaving Will sitting on the bed in a mass of confusion.  Since that day Will not was sure of anything anymore, especially himself. 

"But girl, I'm not blaming you and I'm not blaming me It's just the way the story goes 

_We grew up, but separately"_

Sunset on the docks. "Another day over" Will thought, "and another day spent wondering what in the hell I'm supposed to be doing." He turned away and started walking towards the smithy, his thoughts as always a jumble. "Damn it Will Turner, be a man and get on with life. You know where your heart lies. You're the son of a pirate. It's time to start acting like one." He opened the door to the shop and walked in, his gaze immediately falling on the rack of swords, those beautiful swords that he had once created in what seemed a lifetime ago. He picked one up, remembering the last time he had drawn a sword in this shop. In that moment it became clear, clearer than things had been in a long time.  Will knew what must be done to save himself and his life.


	4. In your eyes

Pairings: Jack/Will. Light slash – nothing graphic. 

Notes: I never expected a short story to become this. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to expand on it. As always, feedback is welcome.

Thanks also to Peter Gabriel for the song lyrics.

_ "Love I get so lost, sometimes_

_days pass and this emptiness fills my heart"_

Captain Jack Sparrow stood at the helm of his beloved Black Pearl, the ocean spread out before him and the warmth of the sun on his face. Below him the crew went about their daily tasks without much rush. They had been fortunate of late to plunder several ships so everyone was quite happy and making plans for much drinking and whoring as soon as they reached port. Jack knew their money would not last long and there would probably be some crew who need "assistance" leaving the local jails but that would be typical of a trip to shore for them.

"All my instincts, they return 

_And the grand façade, so soon will burn_

_Without a noise, without my pride_

_I reach out from the inside"_

The encounter with Barbossa and escape from Port Royal had only enhanced his reputation. On trips ashore he was still the grand Captain Jack Sparrow, drinking rum in ungodly amounts while managing to keep his charm and wits about him. The local whores were always glad to see him and he was always glad to indulge in their talents to the fullest (except of course for Scarlett. He still couldn't figure out what he'd done to that wench. Or Giselle either for that matter).  To himself Jack wondered if by touching the cursed gold he had inherited a little of the curse for it took more rum than usual to slake his thirst and more women to help him forget the memory of a certain blacksmith and a night spent in Tortuga.  

A night that no amount of rum would ever burn out of his brain. He had just wanted to talk with the lad and had ended up bedding him instead. "Really mate?" a voice inside his head spoke "All you did was bed him? Just like all of those wenches?" For the first time Jack had to admit it was not the same at all. From the moment he had looked into Will's  eyes by the firelight in that room, from the instant they had reached for each other it had been different.  He honestly couldn't remember how they had made it to the bed - which was typical for Jack Sparrow on most nights – but what he could remember was the feel of those rough blacksmith hands on his skin, the kisses that never seemed to end and most of all the words whispered between them, words which Captain Jack Sparrow could say with honesty he had never spoken to a single woman in his life. Most of all Jack remembered Will's eyes, those incredible eyes full of a light and heat that burned into his rum soaked soul. Jack had looked into those eyes the next morning intending to speak but found he couldn't because those eyes robbed him of speech. He had merely looked at Will and left the inn  without a word.

"Jack" A voice from beside him snapped him from the memories. "It's Captain Jack to you love," he turned to Anamaria, "Savvy?" "All right, Captain Jack then. Isn't it time you be claiming what is yours?" "I've taken my prizes from our plunder love, so my claim is set." Anamaria sat on the rail, "That's not what I mean. When you call me into your cabin to drink and not bed me afterwards I know your mind is with someone else. I may be a pirate but I'm also a woman, and we women see things much clearer than men." She stood and put a hand over his, "Your heart has been taken, Captain Jack Sparrow. "  He looked at her and for a moment let his guard down, "The crew?" "Have no idea. To them you're not changed, " she stood up and grinned wickedly, "But then again they're a scurvy lot of men, aren't they?" He watched as she returned to the deck, his mind racing.

The Pearl sailed her way into harbor in Tortuga, the crew eager to go ashore to fairer company and better drink. All worked quickly to moor the ship at the dock and then scatter into town.  As Jack swaggered down the gangplank he saw a familiar figure standing at the end of the dock.

"In your eyes Resolution of all the fruitless searches 

_In your eyes_

_I see the light and the heat_

_In your eyes_

_Oh I want to be that complete_

_I want to touch the light_

_The heat I see in your eyes"_

"Dear William," Jack stopped in front of him, "and looking so well. And where might your bonnie lass be? Can't help but notice the wench isn't by your side." "She's with her husband. In London," Will replied, noticing how quickly Jack caught his breath then quickly became himself again. "Is she now? Decided life with a blacksmith wasn't to her liking?" Jack spoke casually but searched those eyes – damn him, those wonderful eyes – for an answer he hoped to find. "No, she decided she wanted me to be happy. I'm a pirate Jack, I need to be with pirates and claim what is mine".

"In your eyes 

_The light the heat_

_In your eyes_

_I am complete"_

Jack threw his arm about Will's shoulders, "Well then lad, come aboard the Pearl and claim what is yours." And as they walked aboard the ship, both men realized that just one night had become a lifetime to be shared.


End file.
